Christmas in the Trenches (16 page)

Not unexpectedly, with the fighting having finished on 11 November, many of Britain’s citizen soldiers wondered why they were still in uniform come Christmas. Such thoughts led to a growing resentment against military discipline as many viewed themselves as civilians once again:

Strangely enough now that the war is over, numbers of the men refuse to obey orders or rather they show a certain amount of independence that is most disconcerting. I had to talk to a whole company that were disgracefully abusive to their officers. I realized that any show of military authority would be fatal so I reasoned with them and told them that for the benefit of all and in order to facilitate the movement of those who were anxious to get back to England, it was necessary that they should still behave as disciplined soldiers. My remarks were greeted by cat calls and rude noises but I knew there must be a large proportion of the men who were anxious to return to England, so I announced that I should look to the men themselves for co-operation and that if there was obstruction I should have the offenders arrested and kept back. There was then almost complete silence and I had no further difficulty. (
Capt Alfred Bundy, 2nd King’s Own Royal Lancasters
)

The men referred to by Bundy were at Summerhill Camp outside Salonika, where soldiers not wanted for occupation forces in Bulgaria and Turkey had been kicking their heels since the end of September. But lapses in discipline were not confined to more distant theatres of war or to other ranks:

I think I will be a bit fond of staying in when I do come home. No Germany for me, thank you; I’ve seen quite enough of Germans. And I will be so pleased to say good-byeee to muddy Flanders . . .

There was a parade on Boxing Day. Two others and myself thought it was a holiday and no parade. So we did not go. Result is we do three extra parades beginning Monday, with full marching order on, after the others are dismissed. What a cheerful army. They would have had us on parade Xmas day if they could. Oh I aint arf enjoying myself. If leave continues, I think my turn comes about Feb to March. And I sincerely hope that its home for good . . . I hope you enjoyed your Xmas and had a real good time. No need to worry now, war’s over, so they say. We painted all our limbers and cleaned guns etc ready for handing in – sometime.
¹
(
Lt Emrys Richards, 63rd Battalion, MGC
)

Unfortunately, the initial demobilisation scheme, drawn up in 1917 by the Secretary of State for War Lord Derby, proposed that the first men to be released from service were those who worked in key industries. However, it was invariably these men who had been called up in the latter stages of the war. This left many of those with the longest service records at the back of the queue, which was the main cause of resentment. Soldiers from the Dominions also suffered delays, many waiting months in camps in Britain for transport home. Once Churchill was appointed Secretary of State for War in January 1919, he amended the demobilisation programme, making sure that age, length of service and wounds were taken into account when selecting the order in which men were sent home. But until then the authorities worried about unrest in the ranks as small-scale mutinies broke out in Calais and Folkestone and a demonstration of 3,000 soldiers occurred in central London. Typical of the men they were trying to appease was Gnr William Young (175 Siege Battery, RGA), who wrote to his fiancée from the village of Villers-Bocage:

We are expecting to move at any time to another village near here. They have been putting up huts for us for some time now and they are about ready I think. So they shouldn’t be so bad but it will be a good job when we can get out of it. It gets on your nerves to be messing about doing nothing when you might be at home. They have started issuing us out with a rifle now the war is over, I suppose they think we want something to look after now the fighting is over. They didn’t give us one when that was on, but I suppose that’s just like the Army. I don’t know what I want that for, but still it don’t matter, shall stand it in the corner out of the way. I have been on exchange work since being here so haven’t had to do any parades, so that is one thing to be thankful for.
²

Across the various former theatres of war, officers and NCOs worked hard to provide for their men in preparation for what most realised would be their final Christmas together:

25 December 1918: Maglia
:

Christmas Day was celebrated in a fashion wholly British in this small Italian village, and despite inclement weather, the arrangements made by the Battalion went off splendidly. In the morning the officers played the sergeants at football and the former were rather heavily beaten 7–3. The match however provided a good deal of fun, as the ground was in a very bad condition in many places completely under water. At 12.30 the Christmas dinners by Companies began and continued well into the afternoon. ‘A’ Coy had their real Christmas dinner the evening before owing to the difficulty in securing a room for Christmas Day. Lt-Col Bartlett DSO was unfortunately away, on leave, but when Maj P. PICKFORD DSO, MC visited the dining rooms, he was acclaimed by all ranks and toasted with musical honours, not once but many times. Scenes of joyous hilarity ensued and Christmas Day 1918 was undoubtedly the most enjoyable the Battalion had spent under active service conditions. (
War Diary 1/4th Ox & Bucks Light Infantry
)

As the fighting ceased, there was, in general, more of a loosening of military discipline around the celebrations, especially for those in camps awaiting the end of their military service. Drinking had always been an integral part of the soldier’s way of celebrating and many took full advantage of the changed circumstances they found at Christmas 1918:

Xmas Eve
. Very gusty weather today and inclined to rain. A General Holiday. Sports which were to have taken place today are postponed to Boxing Day . . .

There was a Fancy Dress Ball in the canteen tonight but it was just spoilt by booze. A lot too much silly drinking; did not appeal to me. I went to bed early, thinking of the children in England ‘hanging up their stockings’ . . .

Thursday 26 December 1918
: The Sports this afternoon were very good, all the usual running and jumping races. In the evening I went down to the Section and packed a box for home. Sgt Pat was absolutely canned [drunk]. (
2 ACM Francis Blunt, 17 Training Depot Squadron, RAF Abu Sueir
)

As 2/Lt Eric de Normann put it: ‘Xmas is always rather strenuous in the Army. The eating and drinking is always rather overdone – especially the latter.’
³
At Marsh Pier Supply Depot, outside Salonika, where de Normann found himself that winter, the freely flowing alcohol led to an excess of Christmas spirit on the part of the men who became keen on showing the officers their vocal dexterity:

Last night we were invaded by two bands of carol singers all rather hoarse and unsteady! . . .

Most of the men didn’t go to bed last night, consequently everybody is rather tired. I went to bed at eleven, at 2 they had a debate as to whether they should sing carols outside my hut – luckily they decided I might object.
⁴
(
2/Lt Eric de Normann, ASC
)

This is not to say that Blunt and de Normann did not enjoy the festive season that year. The former found his Christmas Day notably different from that he had experienced with the 2/15th Londons in 1917:

Xmas Day, Beautiful warm sunny day. Turkey, Xmas pudding etc for Xmas Dinner. Dinner supposed to cost 6/- a head but it was certainly not worth it. Excellent football match this afternoon between the staff and the pupils. This evening there was a splendid concert in the canteen which lasted until after midnight. During the evening Cobb and I took two flashlight photos of the Officers’ Mess dinner. They would insist on us joining with the champagne and other drinks. I went to bed at 1.30am tired out after a perfect day – such a contrast to a year ago, in the trenches beyond Jerusalem.

For de Normann, New Year’s Eve 1919 also brought first-class entertainment:

We had a great show here last night; the biggest social success of the Balkans! Namely a real pukka dance! Dancing was allowed this year to all sisters, and I had a bevy of Australian girls down – our mess looked awfully pretty. We had decorated it with signal flags – polished the floor – had a fine orchestra – good supper, plenty of champagne and were all as merry as larks from 8.30 till 3. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much since I was in the army.
⁵

As at military camps, the staff of military hospitals ensured the men in their care would not miss out on the celebrations. Among these was 3rd Air Mechanic John Roscoe (20th Depot Training Squadron), who was in Government Hospital, Suez, suffering from dysentery:

A tree has been fitted up in the yard, and electric lights arranged on it, while every night for the last week I have heard the staff and some of the patients downstairs singing Christmas carols. I suppose they intend to come round as Xmas waits. The music is mostly provided by the gramophone!

I went to the early morning Communion Service today. It was held in an empty ward downstairs. At 7 a.m. we got breakfast. The menu was as follows: Bread & butter, tea, 2 fried eggs, 1½ beef sausages, jam (damson). So you see we did jolly well. Even the patients on the No. 1 diet got the same breakfast, but the poor chaps couldn’t quite manage such a lot all at once, and those that ate all their own stuff were far too full up to think of helping anybody else.

The orderly came round first thing this morning with a big sack, from which he extracted small bags containing the patients’ Xmas gifts from the Red Cross. In mine I found 5 pkts cigarettes and 2 boxes matches (I gave all these away), a cardboard box of sweets (I did not give these away), a purple handkerchief, soap tablet, towel, writing paper, a Xmas card and a black lead.
⁶

The sheer size of the British Army still in the field at the end of 1918, especially in France, meant that not all units could be accommodated in camps. Many continued to be billeted in towns and villages among the civilian population. One such unit was the 63rd Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps, which moved to the village of Elouges on 4 December:

We were very cordially received by the inhabitants and the Battalion marched past before dispersing to billets.

It was soon evident that with a little organization the Battalion would be very comfortable and it was with that idea that everyone settled down to work. All the men were very comfortable, every man either having bed or palliasse. (
Battalion War Diary
)

The troops quickly settled in and began organising recreation rooms, company dining halls and a battalion Sergeants’ Mess and Officers’ Mess. Between 9 and 16 December, much time was taken up with cleaning, painting and storing the unit’s equipment, including machine guns and limbers. Sports including boxing, football, running and tug-of-war were undertaken in the afternoons to select teams to enter Divisional and Corps level competitions. Preparations were also undertaken to run the army education scheme, for those men wishing to prepare for new careers after demobilisation. This relatively quiet, settled life in the village, with the knowledge that no more fighting was necessary, proved most welcome and a sort of halfway house between the army and the civilian life to which most men longed to return:

Its quite a treat to be in a house, a fire going and sleeping between sheets and two army blankets per man. Although we are not quite free from our numerous friends.
⁷
(
Lt Emrys Richards
)

Sometimes lice proved not to be the only problem for the troops as life among civilians could have its drawbacks:

19 December 1918: A great deal of commotion was caused by the presence of scabies. This was attributed to civilian sanitation. Although numerous latrines had been erected it was very difficult to ensure that the civilian places were not being used. However careful inspections and a liberal used of creasol soon got rid of the problem. (
63rd Battalion, MGC, War Diary
)

But, on the whole, benefits more than outweighed any inconveniences and discomforts:

Many thanks for parcel received quite safely, also letter dated 19th, everything was quite alright and very nice. It had been a long time in reaching me and the box had got broken a good bit but everything was there alright and in good condition and I thank you so very much for sending me such a nice parcel although I think it must have cost you a lot to send me so many things. I like them all very much it’s very kind of you to send them when you are so busy at home. You seem to know exactly what I wanted I think I should have plenty of everything to last until I get home now, I hope so anyway . . . I do so want to see you soon, this messing about here makes you feel more fed up than ever . . .

Well my darling I hope you had as good a time as possible at Xmas. We had a fairly nice time here, rather quiet, but that didn’t matter. I made some mince pies for the Boys. Was up all Xmas eve till ½ past 4 in the morning and then got up and baked the meat for them. We should have had pork, but it was all condemned so it was a good job we didn’t get it, we had mutton and some geese, plum pudding and custard. So altogether we had a decent time, only I was a bit tired you may be sure. We had a French bake-house to use and the baker was up with me all night. We didn’t have much conversation as neither of us could speak much of the other’s language, but we managed to have a few words after a fashion.
⁸
(
Gnr William Young
)

Many troops once again shared their Christmas celebrations with their civilian hosts, especially in those towns and villages where they had become something of a permanent fixture:

. . . our children’s party on the 6th was a great success. They all assembled in the village schoolrooms, it was to begin at 5.30 but at 4.0 they began to arrive! We expected about 120, when I went into the two rooms I counted over 90 in each, and a few more came in later. The Xmas tree was lighted up and we, that is the Officers and Sgts made a procession from the school to the old church (this is our canteen and concert hall etc) it holds about 350 sitting on forms etc. Each of us took a small girl and all the rest of the kids followed on. We walked round the tree and waited, about half the sergeants were in fancy dress, any kind of dress too! Then the adjutant and Green, one of the subalterns, came in dressed as Father Christmas and his wife. Here Father Christmas is not the bringer of toys etc but an old woman called ‘Bifara’ so our idea worked well. The adjutant made a short speech in Italian, and then began to give away the presents from the tree. We had bought 150 presents and there were about 100 decorations on the tree too. The place was packed, for odd parents had pushed their way in too. The noise was deafening for we had a made-up band of tin trumpets, bugles, drums, any odd things etc and they never ceased. The kids crowded round and I hope everyone got something. Then we took the tree away and gave them cocoa, biscuits, sandwiches of bread and bully beef, cheese and jam, over 1000 were eaten. Then we gave an entertainment of sorts and a dancing bear, elephant, horse, dancers etc all came in and performed and the kids were a bit frightened at first, but they soon got used to them. As they went away, we gave each two oranges and a card. They all really enjoyed themselves and I get smiles from each kid whenever I meet them now!
⁹
(
Lt Col Robert Clarke, 1/4th Royal Berkshires
)